FIG. 10 of this specification shows a common pressure contact type terminal fitting having a pressure contact member for making contact with a core of a covered electric wire W, and barrel members 2 for crimping the electric wire W. The pressure contact member 1 has pairs of anterior and posterior pressure contact blades 3 formed by bending anterior and posterior ends of left and right side plates 5 inwards so as to face each other. When the electric wire W is pressed between the pressure contact blades 3, they cut through the covered portion of the electric wire W and make contact with the core thereof. The barrel members 2 are slightly displaced with respect to each other and by crimping them. The wire W is thereby fixed to the terminal fitting.
However, according to the above configuration, when, for example, the electric wire is pulled strongly, the tensile force is applied to the pressure contact blades. Since the pressure contact blades are formed by bending, this pulling force can cause them to bend back, and the electrical contact may be broken or become unreliable.
The present invention has been developed after taking the above problem into consideration, and aims to provide a terminal fitting wherein a change of shape of the pressure contact blades in the direction of the pulling force can be prevented.